At a street corner near Khan Market in New Delhi, drivers of Indian government vehicles chat casually as they wait in line to recharge the batteries of their electric vehicles. We point to the EV charging stations, built by Taiwan’s Delta Electronics, and ask: How long does it take to recharge? How far can you drive on a single charge? The Indian drivers respond to our questions in a friendly manner as they emphasize: “This is Green India.”
Many Asian countries share a love for soy sauce. The soy sauces in all these countries may well share a common origin, but there are also local differences. What is unique about Taiwanese soy sauce?
People think that Bamboola owner Liu Wenhuang’s “puzzle boxes” are based on curio cabinets or trick boxes in Chinese craft traditions, but Liu doesn’t agree. Countering such observations, he does not mince his words: “Do you know what creativity is about?”
Walking down Dingheng Street in Nantou County’s Zhushan Township, we are drawn to the retro handwritten sign of Yuantai Bamboo Crafts, a workshop that is breathing new life into a declining industry.
In modern Taiwan, traditional bamboo utensils no longer play an indispensable role in our daily lives. Nevertheless, we can still come across treasures made of bamboo in shops in Central Taiwan’s Nantou County, a stronghold of bamboo crafts.
Many remote small towns and villages face difficulties because of the aging and outflow of their populations. However, in one community in Yilan County, a different story is unfolding. Behind this new narrative is the “Oil-Seed Camellia Renaissance Program.”
In the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, the children leave a trail of breadcrumbs behind them on their journey, hoping to use them to find their way home. In Taiwan, the Bunun indigenous woman Takbanuaz Ishahavut Pune and the other members of the Gaia Nahuy Workshop have followed shell ginger back to their home ground to reconnect with their cultural roots and pioneer ways for young people to return to or remain in the communities where they grew up.
While serving up a plate of scrumptious-looking baked fish garnished with rosemary and radishes, the waiter brings us a salt pot—a perplexing sight for those of us who are accustomed to Chinese cuisine. Whetting our curiosity, the waiter says: “You might like to try sprinkling some salt on it. This will give it a different flavor.”
Boba, TSMC, Din Tai Fung, night markets…. In addition to these well-known features, Taiwan has another strong suit, although of lower profile. It is likely to exceed your expectations when you experience it for yourself. You may in fact come to see it as a big draw for the country.
Foreign tourists visiting Taiwan, along with locals traveling to different cities, have popularized the trend of buying “souvenir gifts” from bakeries.
Last year’s Mid-Autumn Festival saw a surge in sales of egg-yolk pastries, with long lines forming not at traditional Chinese pastry shops, but at Western-style bakeries.
Taiwan’s baking industry is not only of high quality but also full of creativity and vitality. All of this can be traced back to the phenomenon of “champion breads.”
